tears... and a rash.

Doesn't this face just break your heart??  I know it does mine...

That's the "I just don't feel good Mom!" face!

And here's part of why he doesn't feel good:

Since he woke up this morning, Bjørn's had an ugly red, bumpy rash all over his legs, and a little bit on his arms.  Not too much to talk about anywhere else on his body though...

Hopefully this is just a virus that will clear itself soon with lots and lots of liquids and cuddles!

(Can I just tell you how glad I am that he is still nursing??  It has been a lifesaver with his being sick!)

sick. again.

I'm starting to feel like my little man is never well!  He started to get sick towards the end of our trip, and we had to leave early the last day to get him back across the border and go to the walk-in clinic in Yuma.

I was so close to losing it that last day...  My mama's-heart was breaking in two, and I was having a very hard time holding myself together.  It's so hard to have a sick baby and not be able to help them feel better!

Fortunately it was (is so far!) just a bad cold, so we were able to fly home on schedule.  He's still not doing great...  very clingy, fussy and uncomfortable, not to mention the snot-fountain in his nose, the rash and the fever!  His cough at night is sounding a little like this may turn into croup again, and I am praying so hard that it won't!

It was so painful to leave Mexico the way we did.  So many goodbye's left unsaid and hugs left un-given.  As usual, I left another piece of my heart in Mexico this year, and it will be waiting there for me to return.  It will take me a few days to sort through everything in my heart to be able to communicate it best to you...  But I will try!!

In the meantime, I am going to go snuggle my sweet, sick boy!!

chocolate cupcakes with almond buttercream frosting

a.k.a. - Contestant #2 for Bjørn's 1st birthday cake!  This is a rich chocolate cake that surprisingly calls for mayo!  Yep, MAYO!  I've always wondered about cake recipes that call for mayo, and so I had to try making one for myself.  You would never know it was in there, and the cake turned out nicely moist and fluffy!!

This recipe makes a huge batch of cupcakes!  (I am sick and have a sick baby today so didn't want to dig around for my pans, and ended up making 24 mini-cupcakes, 12 regular-cupcakes and 1 round regular cake.  Normally I would use all mini-cupcakes and this would make at least 48!)

Contestant #1 is these Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.

I am sure there will be a Contestant #3, but I'm not sure yet what it will be...  perhaps a Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting?

Or maybe I should just make all three???

Chocolate Mayo Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients:
1/4 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups boiling water
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cups mayonnaise
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  In a small bowl, whisk together the chocolate chips, cocoa and water until smooth.   In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, soda and powder.  In your mixing bowl, cream together the sugars and mayo until smooth, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.  Stir in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture alternately with the chocolate mixture blending well after each addition (Flour, Chocolate, F, Ch, F, Ch, F.)  Pour into cupcake-paper lined muffin tins, about 2/3 to 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of your cupcakes - until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.


Almond Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3 teaspoons almond extract (or vanilla if you prefer)
8 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Beat the butter until fluffy.  Beat in the extract.  On low, beat in the powdered sugar and cream, alternating between the two until the frosting is smooth and the consistency is what you would like.